I'm Sasha along with hubbie Roy and two little stinkers driving us batty just for fun!
We're about to start on a new build in Mission Beach, Far North Queensland. We have already purchased a great flat block of land which backs onto the National Park where we get the local Cassowaries wandering through all the time.
Our house design is a basic "H" shape with one side being for living consisting of a family room, toilet, then into the kitchen which has a pantry and laundry room at the rear and onto the living room. The kitchen is in the centre of this side which is all open plan leading out to the outdoor living area. The other side consists of a master bedroom, ensuite and walk in robe, two additional bedrooms with a family bathroom in between. At the rear is a guest apartment with it's own kitchen area, lounge and ensuite.
We have concentrated on a great outdoor living area which has a nice swimming pool a massive undercover area, a must up here during wet season time, as we love to entertain and with the weather up here it is pretty warm all year round.
We started off with a plan to build it using blocks but after the plans were drawn up we decided against it due to cost implications (too many walls!!!) so we have now gone for a timber framed house which will also be a metre off ground level allowing the much needed ventilation under the house plus we would still get good sea breezes no matter what ends up being built next to us.
We started off looking at getting a builder to build it for us but as hubbie works for the company he was starting to worry as the tradesmen he wanted to build the house have slowly left and gone to work for themselves. We have been through many house renovations in the past and with hubbies knowledge we think we would be able to cope as an owner builder so this is the new route to our dream home. Giving us the options to use the tradesmen we want plus keep some of the savings from materials to ourselves.
We will no doubt be asking a lot of questions in the future but so far this site has been great answering a few questions we had already!
Sasha